Why it works: Thyme and pepper are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 4% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 11,585 recipes. Both carry beta-phellandrene, which smells minty, terpene. The science ↓
Fresh Mushroom Soup
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Chop mushrooms and scallions into bite-sized pieces.
Make the soup
Place mushrooms in a non-stick Dutch oven and cook with red wine until tender.
Add thyme, pepper, mustard, and chicken broth.
Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add yogurt, stirring just to blend.
Serve
Serve.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 8 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 100g cooked | 165 |
| Yogurt | 170g plain Greek | 100 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Wine | 2 tbsp cooking wine (30ml) | 25 |
| Mushrooms | 1/2 cup sliced (35g) | 15 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Thyme | 1 tsp dried (1.4g) | 4 |
| Mustard | 1 tsp (5g) yellow | 3 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Thyme + peppertop 4% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together11,585 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Mushroom + chickentop 4% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,172 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-butyl acetate (fruity, banana).
-
Thyme + mustardtop 4% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together913 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
-
Mushroom + thymetop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,557 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-one (mushroom, metallic).
-
Thyme + red winetop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together749 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Mushrooms
- Provide the main body and savory flavor of the soup as they soften.
- Red wine
- Adds acidity and depth as it cooks down with the mushrooms.
- Dijon mustard
- Adds sharp, tangy flavor that balances the richness of the broth.
- Plain non-fat yogurt
- Adds creamy body and tang when stirred in at the end.
The step that matters
Add yogurt, stirring just to blend. Yogurt can curdle or separate when it is boiled or overheated, so it is added off the heat-level simmer and stirred only until combined.
Swap the mustard
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (mushroom, thyme, pepper, red wine, chicken, yogurt):
- Tomatofits better
- Capsicumfits better
- Potatofits better
- Mustardthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against mushroom, thyme, pepper, red wine, chicken, yogurt. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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